On October 9, 2023, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee reviewed amendments to the East Jerusalem Preliminary Plan for the new settlement of Kidmat Zion, and approved it for deposit (with conditions). This discussion occurred following a previous meeting on September 11, 2023, where the plan was approved with reservations, including the need for an examination by a representative from the Ministry of Transportation and clearance from the Ministry of Defense. The new settlement is planned to be built in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood of Abu Dis, and it will include 384 housing units.
Despite requests from members of the district planning committee to postpone the discussion and the absence of a representative from the Ministry of Defense due to the ongoing conflict, it was decided to proceed with the meeting, which approved the plan. It appears that, alongside Israel’s urgent need to address Hamas threats, the country is also expediting the creation of new friction points between Israelis and Palestinians.
The plan for the establishment of a new settlement, Kidmat Zion consists of 384 housing units. This settlement will be situated in the heart of East Jerusalem, within entirely Palestinian territory. The plan is initiated by the Ateret Cohanim settler organization and is located on one of the few remaining open lands at the western edge of the Abu Dis neighborhood, close to Jericho Road. The neighborhood abuts the separation barrier between Jerusalem and Abu Dis. On the other side of the barrier, one can see a building that was intended to serve as the Palestinian Parliament and was built in the late 1990s.
During the discussion that took place on September 11, 2023, two main challenges prevented the final approval of the plan: 1) Transportation Challenge – The road leading to the intended settlement was too narrow to accommodate the planned traffic from Wadi al-Joz to the neighborhood. 2) Approval from the Minister of Defense’s representative regarding emergency access along the security barrier adjacent to the plan.
In the current discussion, the possibility of connecting the neighborhood to the eastern natural road was presented, but it still requires further adjustments and clarifications regarding transportation, security, and the environment, which will be discussed in a subsequent meeting.
The future Kidmat Zion settlement is planned to be built on land that was partly defined as Jewish-owned before 1948 and partly land acquired by Irwin Moskovitz, a well-known former donor to settler organizations in East Jerusalem. The first families moved into the area in 2004, residing in two houses that were constructed on the outskirts of the compound (one of the houses was built shortly before the settlers’ entry). To facilitate the settlers’ entry into these houses, it was decided to move the route of the separation barrier, which was constructed at that time, to the east, adjacent to the building that was intended to serve as the Palestinian Parliament, constructed in the late 1990s.
History of the ‘Kidmat Zion’ Lands
The future Kidmat Zion settlement is planned to be built on land that was partly defined as Jewish-owned before 1948 and partly land acquired by Irwin Moskovitz, a well-known former donor to settler organizations in East Jerusalem. The first families moved into the area in 2004, residing in two houses that were constructed on the outskirts of the compound (one of the houses was built shortly before the settlers’ entry). To facilitate the settlers’ entry into these houses, it was decided to move the route of the separation barrier, which was constructed at that time, to the east, adjacent to the building that was intended to serve as the Palestinian Parliament, constructed in the late 1990s.
Peace Now: “Even in times of war and just two days after the largest security disaster in the history of the State of Israel since its establishment, the Israeli government does not forget to advance additional flashpoints and confrontations. It seems that the fact that the entire country is entangled in the southern, northern, and western frontlines and the tension in the West Bank does not prevent the Israeli government from promoting potential sources of future conflict. The East Jerusalem settlement is a clear statement of the government’s priorities. We have already seen who pays the price.״